Lady Warrior
by Lady Stardreamer
Summary: Kicked out of page training, Kel is offered another way to become a warrior. Five years later, she is ready to prove just how capable lady warriors can be.
1. Chapter 1

Kel's feet were leaden weights as she stumbled her way through the page's wing. While the possibility had always been there, she had let herself be lulled into a false sense of security. She had thought if she trained hard enough, studied hard enough, she would be permitted to stay after the probation year.

Hope had blinded her and she had run headlong into reality.

The door to her room materialized in front of her and she stood for a moment, staring blankly at the sturdy wood. It wasn't until the thud of footsteps broke her trance that she fumbled in her pocket for her key. Kel slipped into the room, shutting and locking the door behind her, and hoped no one had spotted her.

Standing inside the door, Kel surveyed the room. Her Yamani cats still waved from their spot on the mantelpiece. The feed bowls for the sparrows sat abandoned on the lower window sill. Her glaive was still propped up against the wall.

Since she had been so focused on making it through the year, Kel had never considered what she would do if she was kicked out. Her parents had a townhouse in the city but she had no desire to stay in Corus and, if she returned to Mindelan, she would have to face her sisters-in-law.

She was so preoccupied by her thoughts that it took her a moment to register the figure sitting at the desk.

The open upper shutters provided the only light but it was enough that she could make out the person's face. She had never met the person but she'd heard enough about them to know who was sitting in her room.

"How did you get in here?" she asked.

"You'd be surprised how accommodating people are when you share a common interest," said the person, rising from the chair. "Now, we don't have very long. Are you set on your course to become a lady warrior?"

Kel didn't even have to think. "Yes."

The person smiled wryly, obviously expecting nothing else. "Good. If you will trust me, I can make that happen, although maybe not the way you had originally planned."

Kel regarded the person for a moment. "I trust you."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Riding through the forest, Dom couldn't help but glance back at the woman riding behind him. She had been wearing a deep hooded cloak since she had joined their company, and the only feature he could make out was her hair. It spilled out of her cloak over her shoulder, tumbling halfway to her waist in a twisted, light brown rope.

When Raoul had asked to him to take a squad to Port Legann to retrieve something for him, Dom had not been expecting it to be a woman. He and his men had ridden to Port Legann where Lord Imrah and Lady Marielle had been waiting for them when they entered the courtyard. After he finished exchanging pleasantries with the lord and lady, a woman had approached them, completely covered in a dark cloak from head to toe. She was tall, the top of her head level with his eyes. In each hand she gripped the reins of a horse, one saddled and the other laden down with saddlebags and a long cloth covered pole. Two hunting hounds walked sedately before her while a small terrier danced around her feet.

She was what, or rather who, they had been sent to retrieve.

Lord Imrah and Lady Marielle each spent a few moments speaking quietly with the woman before she mounted up. Dom had hesitated a moment, expecting an introduction, but when none was made he turned to his own mount and they had left shortly after.

That was two days ago and he still didn't know her name. When they traveled, she rode silently with her two hounds running alongside her horse. The terrier was usually nowhere in sight but whenever they stopped to water the horses or make camp he would appear at his mistress's side. In the evenings she would tend to her animals and eat before disappearing into her tent, not to be seen until morning. Any inquiries directed at her were answered with a few short words before she fell silent again.

It unsettled him slightly to travel with such a companion, but after the failed attempts to get her talking he kept his curiosity to himself.

"Captain."

The quiet voice startled him from his thoughts and he turned to the speaker, who'd moved up to ride beside him.

"We're about to have company and not the friendly kind." Her hood was still up and she didn't turn her head to look at him as she spoke. "You may want to warn your men."

His confusion spread across his face, and Dom opened his mouth to ask what she meant but she cut him off.

"If you wish for an explanation I will give you one later. Right now you need to warn your men that we are about to be ambushed."

He stared into the darkness of her hood for a long moment, his desire to see her face stronger than ever. Dom was hesitant to trust the word of a person he didn't know but after a quick survey of the surrounding woods, he couldn't deny something was wrong.

His eyes revealed nothing amiss on the road or among the trees but his ears told him a different story. Apart from his party, everything was silent. He could hear no animals foraging, no birds singing. For a trained warrior, that was enough.

_Well_, Dom thought. _For a trained warrior paying attention it was._

Turning in his saddle he hand signaled Wolset to arm up, making sure to keep his hand low and between his horse and the woman's just in case their ambushers had scouts watching them. Wolset didn't question the command, just discreetly passed it to the rest of the squad.

Bringing his eyes back to the woman, he asked, "Do you know how many?"

Instead of answering she let out a series of low whistles. Thinking she might not have heard him, he was about to repeat his inquiry when a series of yips came from the forest, followed by the lithe form of the terrier. She watched intently as the dog patted the ground several times with each paw before doing the same on a nearby tree.

Turning to Dom she said, "Seventeen. There are seven on either side of the road just around the bend. The other three are up in the trees, archers presumably."

His eyebrows shot up and his gaze jumped between the dog and the woman several times.

Noticing the glance, she asked, "Do you want to take the chance I'm wrong?"

He studied her for a moment, his curiosity flaring anew, before turning to signal the new information to his men. Two of them made their bows ready while the rest tightened their armor and made sure their weapons were in reach.

While doing the same, Dom went over the best course of action. He wasn't concerned about being outnumbered; their horses were trained for combat, evening out the playing field. They were now close enough to the bend that the bandits would hear if they stopped and would either disappear or attack them where they were. He would prefer not to fight but he'd rather deal with them now, on his terms, than leave them to surprise some unsuspecting travelers. The best thing they could do was keep going as they were. His only concern was for their charge.

Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, Dom was unable to tell how the situation affected the woman. The hood obscured her face and her posture gave no indication of underlying tension. So far she had proven to be independent and Dom was not one to assume a woman was incapable of defending herself but he was uncomfortable bringing a civilian of unknown abilities into a fight where they were outnumbered.

"My lady, I don't know what else you're capable of but I've met enough lady warriors to know how offended they get when men tell them to stay back. I only ask that you try not to get hurt."

Letting out a laugh, she nudged her horse to the side. "Don't worry, Captain. I won't get in your way."

He watched as she made her way to her packhorse, her dogs trailing after her, and pulled the animal to the side of the road. Her words might give the impression to some that she would stay away but he didn't interpret them that way. He had no time to consider them further, however, as they were approaching the bend.

Glancing back he saw his men were ready, and he motioned for four of them to split off into the trees and circle behind the bandits. The rest of the squad followed as he continued around the bend.


End file.
